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"Bonjour, Amelie", she heard. A man approached in a well-tailored suit and offered his hand. "I hope your stay among the living was satsifactory."

Amelia -- Amelie -- felt a rush of new memories flow through her. She could speak and understand him in French, much better than English. "Monsieur," she said, carrying on in her now-native tongue. "It was an adventure. Is it over?"

"Yes, Mademoiselle," he replied. "It is time for you to come back to your home. You know the way."

Amelie followed the man through a set of large doors at one end of the corridor. She stepped into a beautiful museum, looking around and taking in surroundings at once ornate and familiar. Her instinct led her to a giant painting -- a Manet -- within one section. It was as the books had it, minus one important detail, one central figure. Her.

Amelie looked at the man with her. "What do I do now?"

"Step in," he told her with a sweeping gesture. The painting was big enough for her to walk to. She stepped forward to a large canvas and placed her hand to it.

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Amelie found herself in a quiet opening. A lady was bathing in a river in the distance. But before her were two men, discussing the activities of the day. "Amelie, mon ami," one said to her. "Join us!"

Amelie walked forward, now clad in a beautiful blue dress. She sat with her friends as memories of their lives together rushed into her mind. "We missed you, Amelie," said one -- she knew to be Gustave. "Where were you?"

"I'll tell you everything," she said, finally home where she belonged. "But something doesn't feel right." She looked down at herself and began to discard her dress. "I must tell you of my adventures in America."

[WC: 300]